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Body dysmorphia -

The term "body dysmorphia" is thrown around quite a lot. In this age of Instagram and TikTok, body image issues are at an all-time high, and it’s hard to avoid comparing yourself to others. This is something most of us struggle with, but body dysmorphia is a serious psychiatric illness that takes this to an extreme level.

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Defining BDD -

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is an anxiety disorder in the same family as obsessive compulsive disorder. Those who suffer from BDD spend hours obsessing over their appearance every day, overwhelmed by negative thoughts.

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Obsession with specific flaws -

People with BDD tend to focus on specific flaws, which are often imagined. They don’t believe friends or family who tell them it’s non-existent or very minor. They may try extreme measures like plastic surgery to change their appearance, or avoid going out so they won’t be seen.

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Body dysmorphia vs. insecurities - While most of us have insecurities, body dysmorphia is set apart because it has such an impact on quality of life and ability to function.

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Serious mental illness - Body dysmorphic disorder usually causes serious emotional distress, and those who suffer from it may also have problems with anxiety and depression.

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Common insecurities -

Common focuses of BDD tend to be on the face, and many people are preoccupied with freckles, moles, acne, scars, or facial hair. In more severe cases, the person may have a tendency to pick at their faces with their fingernails or tweezers to reduce the appearance of the imperfection.

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Common insecurities -

Other common areas of obsession are hair on the head or body, the shape of the breasts or genitalia, muscle size, or stomach fat. Even extremely underweight patients suffering from eating disorders may be convinced that they’ve got excess belly fat.

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How to recognize BDD -

There are many behaviors that someone with this disorder might display, and many of them are normal things that most of us do. However, the frequency and intensity are what set them apart.

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Common behaviors -

People with BDD may avoid mirrors or refuse to take photos. They often wear excessive makeup to hide their perceived flaw, or try to cover it with clothing and accessories like hats and scarves. They might change their outfits constantly and groom obsessively.

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Common behaviors -

They might take actions to try and change their appearance, like excessive exercise or muscle building. Some people make frequent trips to the doctor, particularly the dermatologist, to address their imperfection. Plastic surgery is often the goal, but usually doesn’t yield satisfactory results if they go through with it.

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Need for reassurance -

A person with BDD might ask the people around them for opinions about how they look and seek constant reassurance. They believe that their specific flaw is highly noticeable to everyone.

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How BDD is diagnosed -

Those who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder tend to hide their obsessions, so it's sometimes misdiagnosed. If someone who suffers from anxiety or depression is seeking help and has a tendency towards the feelings and behaviors previously outlined, it’s important for them to be open with their doctor or therapist. Problems with body image are so common that we don’t always realize when it’s getting out of control.

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Treatment - There are effective treatments that will allow a person with BDD to live a full and happy life. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help patients to recognize irrational thoughts and replace harmful ways of thinking with positive ones. Antidepressant medication may also be prescribed to relieve the symptoms.

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Who gets BDD? -

Unlike eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder affects men and women almost equally. In the US, it’s estimated that 2.5% of men and 2.2% of women suffer from this disorder. It’s most common in adolescents and teens, and often develops around ages 12-13.

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Celebrity experiences -

The widespread issues with body image are often blamed on social media and celebrity culture. It would be easy to assume that the perfectly-sculpted celebrities we often compare ourselves to couldn’t possibly suffer with BDD. This, however, is not the case. Let’s take a look at which brave celebrities opened up about their struggles with the condition.

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Billie Eilish -

Billie Eilish became a star at the age of 14 and grew up in the spotlight. Every change to her body and personal style has been analyzed and criticized over the years. Now, in her 20s, she has opened up about the difficult relationship she has had with her body. Eilish suffered an injury to her hip when she was 13 which made it impossible for her to dance. She continued to face injuries to her lower body for years until she was finally diagnosed with a condition called hypermobility. The experience of being physically limited and in pain for so long left her feeling anger toward her body. 

"Going through my teenage years of hating myself and all that stupid s--t, a lot of it came from my anger toward my body, and how mad I was at how much pain it's caused me and how much I've lost because of things that happened to it," Eilish told Vogue in a January interview. "I felt like my body was gaslighting me for years," she explained. "I had to go through a process of being like, my body is actually me. And it's not out to get me." Eilish is still working to love and accept her body. In the past, she stated that she has a "terrible relationship" with it and has to disassociate when she sees photos of herself performing. 

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Chloë Grace Moretz -

Chloë Grace Moretz has opened up about her experience with body dysmorphia, which was triggered by an “onslaught of horrific memes” on social media. Speaking to  Hunger magazine, Moretz revealed there was one photo of her walking with a pizza box that got manipulated into a character from ‘Family Guy’ with an exaggeratedly warped physique. “Everyone was making fun of my body and I brought it up with someone and they were like, ‘it’s funny.'” Moretz added, “And I just remember sitting there and thinking, my body is being used as a joke and it’s something that I can’t change about who I am, and it is being posted all over Instagram ... And to this day, when I see that meme, it’s something very hard for me to overcome.”

“I think that body dysmorphia–which we all deal with in this world–is extrapolated by the issues of social media," the actress, who hit fame at age 12 after starring in 'Kickass,' said. Moretz added that she “basically became a recluse” due to the viral social media backlash, and would be "severely anxious" when she was photographed. 

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Jameela Jamil -

The gorgeous Jameela Jamil suffered from body dysmorphia and disordered eating as a teenager. She was once weighed in front of her entire class at school, which left some serious scars. Jamil reportedly still has body dysmorphia and chooses only to look in the mirror when she puts on her eyeliner in the morning and takes it off at night. This helps her to avoid getting distracted and preoccupied with her appearance.

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Lili Reinhart - Lili Reinhart has been open about her difficulties with body dysmorphia. The 'Riverdale' star says she used to look in the mirror obsessively many times a day, and see something different each time.

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Justin Baldoni -

'Jane the Virgin' star Justin Baldoni shared that he struggles with a specific form of body dysmorphia: muscle dysmorphia. Baldoni was a skinny kid growing up and carried insecurity about his body into adulthood. He says that no matter what he does, he doesn't feel strong enough, muscular enough, or big enough.

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Kim Kardashian -

An episode of 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' gave insight into Kim K's battle with body dysmorphia. She was shown having a panic attack in the car on the way to the 2017 Met Gala, shortly after photos of her in a bikini were subjected to widespread criticism in the media.

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Uma Thurman - Uma Thurman shared that she developed BDD after giving birth to her first child in 1998. Since then, she said she's seen herself as "fat" and has serious difficulties with her self image.

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Sarah Michelle Gellar - Sarah Michelle Gellar has admitted in the past that she too suffers from body dysmorphia. Gellar reminds herself that she's only human and a mom. She found that parenthood helped to reduce her preoccupation with her appearance a bit.

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Hayden Panettiere -

Hayden Panettiere developed body dysmorphia after seeing cruel comments about her appearance online. The actress finds that it helps to remind herself that "beauty is an opinion, not a fact."

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Robert Pattinson - Robert Pattinson has been very open about male body image and his personal struggles with body dysmorphia. He says it's usually at its worst before a red carpet event and he becomes crippled with anxiety.

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Miley Cyrus -

Miley Cyrus shared that she developed body dysmorphia after working on 'Hannah Montana,' as she was made to look so pretty every day to film the show. Once it was over, it sent her into a bit of a crisis.

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Lana Condor -

The young star of the hit Netflix movie 'To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before' admitted that she's struggled with disordered eating and body dysmorphia. She told Elle Canada that she now posts everything she eats online because she wants to celebrate food.

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Amandla Stenberg -

Amandla Stenberg is another young actress who struggled with body image after being oversexualized and pressured to lose weight at an early age. Stenberg's method of overcoming anxiety about her body is to look herself in the mirror and talk her feelings through with her reflection.

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Michael Jackson -

Experts believe that Michael Jackson suffered from a severe form of BDD. The King of Pop underwent more than 30 different plastic surgeries in his lifetime, drastically altering his appearance, and rarely appeared in public without makeup.

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Holly Madison -

The model, TV personality, and most famously, ex-Playboy bunny had moved into the Playboy Mansion in 2002 and became Hugh Hefner's "#1 girl" for several years. She later said that her relationship with Hefner was born out of a kind of Stockholm syndrome. It's hard to image a more toxic environment for a young woman struggling with her body image. Madison has shared her experiences in a deeply personal TikTok video. She described being terrified to look at photos of herself because she always thought she needed to lose weight and looked terrible. She found a specific photo of herself in her iconic bunny suit, and remembered thinking at the time "I need to lose five pounds at least." In her current, healthier state of mind, Madison acknowledges that it was completely outrageous. "I look like a stick."

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Sam Smith -

Sam Smith recently got candid with The Sunday Times about struggling with their weight in the public eye, but how they also, thankfully, got over their body dysmorphia. "Within my industry there is definitely that question of, 'What should a pop star look like?'" they told the outlet, adding that they never fit the "norm."

"When I was 25 I came off tour exhausted. I looked to role models in the body world. Every time I went to the pool I felt self-conscious, but I forced myself to take my top off," they continued. "It paid off because I now have the opposite of body dysmorphia. I look fabulous. I'm finally getting a tan. I'm burnt in places I've never been burnt." The singer, who came out as non-binary in May 2019, said they're more focused on music than their body now, though the two are triumphant as Smith poses topless on the cover of their fourth studio album 'Gloria.'  

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How to help -

If you know someone who has body dysmorphic disorder, there are things you can do to support them. The best thing they can do is get professional help, but you can’t push a person to do that until they’re ready. It’s best to give them an open and non-judgmental space to talk about their feelings, even if you don’t understand them.

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How to help -

It’s usually not helpful to sympathize by talking about your own insecurities. Try to steer the conversation away from negative talk about physical appearance. If they make small steps towards improvement, celebrate that with them.

Sources: (ADAA) (Mind) (Teen Vogue) (E!) (Glamour) (MGHOCD) (The Recovery Village)

See also: Celebrities who have struggled with eating disorders

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